Special to the
Opelika Observer
Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan issued the following statement today in support of census participation:
“It’s time to be counted. The 2020 Census is underway and it’s crucial to our state for everyone to take part. Starting today, invitations to fill out the online census questionnaire are being mailed out to every household. The Alabama Republican Party encourages all Alabamians to check their mailboxes and complete it as soon as possible.
“Some important census facts – The census was established by our Founding Fathers in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution. It is sent to every household in the U.S. every 10 years.
Up to $13 billion in federal funding for Alabama is at stake. This is money used to improve our state’s future: schools, roads, job opportunities, etc. We need an accurate census count to ensure these programs are able to continue.
The census will also determine the number of congressional seats Alabama has. Unlike U.S. Senate seats – which always remain at two per state – congressional districts are reconfigured every 10 years based upon population growth and loss in each state. We need to make sure Alabama continues to have sufficient representation in Washington.
This in turn will impact the number of electors we send to the Electoral College starting with the 2024 Presidential election. The number of electors in each state is equal to the size of its congressional delegation (U.S. Senators plus U.S. Representatives).
The census contains only 10 simple questions and takes just six minutes of your time to complete.
“We strongly encourage Alabamians to participate in this year’s census and ask them to encourage their families and friends to do the same.”